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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25834459">In the Beginning</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MahTohSka/pseuds/MahTohSka'>MahTohSka</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>CrankGameplays - Fandom, Unus Annus - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF, markiplier - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cult, Kidnapping, Possession, inspired by Mariwerz's unus annus video, summoning ancient beings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:42:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,527</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25834459</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MahTohSka/pseuds/MahTohSka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A cult has kidnapped Ethan and Mark to have them be vessels for two powerful beings - but the beings they summoned and bound to their earthly forms have other plans ...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In the Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>When I first saw Mariwerz's 'Cult Renaissance' video on the UA video of Mark and Ethan reacting to fan made creepy pics, I was immediately awestruck by it I had to write a fic inspired by this. (You can find the video on Youtube, hopefully it's still there, or you can search on reddit - u/Mariwerz)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They had no idea where they were, the recollection as to how was slowly coming to them. They remembered they were walking back to their vehicles from visiting the beach when a white van had rolled up next to them; Ethan remembered Mark trying to fight them off and cried to Ethan to escape but he was overpowered as was Ethan. They were underground in a cave chamber, hundreds of candles littered the place, two stone altars were up on a small riser; Ethan and Mark were held in separate small cells that were on either side of the main entrance to the cavern chamber.</p><p>“You okay?” Ethan softly spoke in the empty chamber. He couldn’t see Mark and worried that he might’ve sustained injuries during the scuffle.</p><p>There was a long silence before he heard an answer, “My head hurts. You?”</p><p>“I’m okay, just shaken up.” Ethan went up to the cell bars and tried to survey his surroundings. “How deep underground are we?”</p><p>“I dunno, but I will reign hellfire on whoever it was that abducted us,” Mark grumbled.</p><p>The chamber’s door opened, a lone figure went up to the riser, standing over a small cauldron of wax that had been slowly melting, checking the consistency. Mark and Ethan kept silent as they watched, the cloak’s hood drastically pulled over the person’s face, obscuring it to get a good look at them. They could hear a faint whisper coming from the cloaked figure, who had moved on to look into the tome that lay open on a stand before two large murals that were covered, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. The figure felt eyes upon him, he smirked underneath his hood.</p><p>“You’re both very lucky to be selected for this occasion,” he spoke. “Interesting choices, I must say, that our congregates acquired for tonight.”</p><p>“What do you want with us,” Mark crawled up to the bars, the low ceiling in the cells making it impossible for either one to stand up. “I’ll find a way out of this to kick your ass.”</p><p>“So, the brawler awakes,” the man turned around. “I was told you had quite the fight in you. Admirable of you to try and get yourself and your friend away, but alas, here you are.”</p><p>“Look, you don’t want us, we’re a couple of idiots, we share one braincell between us,” Mark tried to plead stupidity with the robed man. “I don’t think you’d want us …”</p><p>“Oh, but we do, though. You both have a following, a perfect platform for us to use to our advantage.”</p><p>“Good luck trying to brainwash us. I got the thickest skull you’ll ever know,” Mark pointed over to Ethan’s cell. “And his brain is already scrambled, there’s hardly any thoughts going on around in there.”</p><p>“Thanks, Mark,” Ethan lightly chuckled.</p><p>“No, no, we wouldn’t want to go so far as to doing that. We have ways of spreading our influence,” the robed figure turned around, continuing to monologue. “We have a unique group of people here, each of us knowing our purpose. We are Unus Annus. One Year. One year to live life to our fullest and then ascend to the great beyond, our deities guiding us to that plane of the unknown. Those of us whose year is almost up, we leave behind those who are halfway through or just beginning. They will take our place, gathering more members and the cycle continues.”</p><p>“This is a fucking death cult,” Mark mused to himself, can’t believing what he’s hearing.</p><p>“What we have planned is to ensure our society has longevity. What better way to have two influencers such as yourselves, who have thousands watching them, work under us to gain more members.”</p><p>“How are you going to get us to cooperate?”</p><p>“Don’t encourage him, Ethan,” Mark shot him down, a warning tone in his voice.</p><p>“Our society has long dreamed of summoning the very beings who are vital to this life on earth, and other lives across the universe, however low they may be. We have procured the right amount to be powerful enough to control these elements, these deities that carry us on to the nether. We call them, Memento and Mori. Or, as you know them by …” He pulled the curtain off one, “Time,” the other curtain was pulled down, “and Death.”</p><p>Mark and Ethan saw the murals depicting two humanoid beings – Time held an hourglass in one hand with his free hand up at chest level in a saintly pose, Death also had an hourglass in one had while the other held up a skull; Time had a youthful countenance but there was something about the eyes that made the being look older than they appeared, half of Death’s face was decaying as were other parts of their body that were rotting, a scythe strapped across their back. They both were elevated, floating above a sea of humans that lay dead or were dying, Time had an aura of black around them as Death’s white complimented it.</p><p>“Since the beginning, man has personified these concepts. Father Time. The Grim Reaper. We are seizing the opportunity to materialize them in hopes to control them, to make them work for us.” He turned around again to face Mark and Ethan. “That’s where you come in. Perfect vessels with the perfect platform to spread our influence.”</p><p>“You can’t control those things,” Ethan spoke up. “There’s dozens of movies where characters are trying to control time or death and it just doesn’t work out in the end.”</p><p>“This is reality, boy,” the man sneered. “We are more than capable of overpowering them.”</p><p>“But Ethan does have a point,” Mark noted. “They might not want to do what you want them to do. You can’t control things that are out of your element.”</p><p>“We shall see.” He exited the chamber, leaving Mark and Ethan to gaze up at the two murals, a sense of dread weighed on them the longer they stared. Is this what is to happen to them? This is it? There has to be a way out of this.</p><p>A few more hours had passed, two attendants brought Ethan and Mark out one by one for ‘preparations’ – they were given a simple bath, their clothes temporarily put aside as they were given a white cotton schenti kilt that came just above their knees, the two exchanging odd glances at each other as they were dressed in this fashion before being escorted back to the chamber and brought before the two altars. By now a congregation of thirty people had gathered, the man they had spoken with earlier wore the same robes however half of his face was revealed by the hoods. The tops of his hands showed a simple drawing for an hourglass – two triangles with one inverted as the two points met, two more attendants behind him had the same symbols on their hands.</p><p>When Mark and Ethan were met with a bowl of burning incense, they both took steps backward in an attempt to run but were met with two larger men that forced their arms behind their backs, shoving their faces close to the incense. Mark couldn’t hold his breath in long enough, getting a large whiff of the concoction of herbs and spices that made his body become lax, his mind becoming clear and entranced; Ethan turned his face away, his eyes catching Mark’s body go limp and get caught by other attendees that lifted him up onto the altar below the Death mural.</p><p>“Mark!” he struggled to break free, his nostrils opening up and getting a brief smell of the incense, Ethan feeling the world slowly start to spin around him. “Mark …”</p><p> As he was laid, he still had some resistance in him, extra pairs of hands held him down. The head priest took a brush, dipping it in wax as he started to mark Ethan’s body with black wax.</p><p>“We seal Memento into this earthly body, bound by these rites which pass through our lips,” the priest spoke in English before speaking in Latin. Ethan flinched as the brush went down his chest, vocally objecting to it. A hand pressed itself over his mouth, the Latin incantations summoning a great force that made Ethan’s body shake, black veins crawled across his frame and appeared at his eyes, the hourglass symbol etched on his forehead as inky black pitch seeped across his hazel eyes. Ethan’s breath hitched, body becoming still as an unseen presence invaded his body and settled in; as his frame ceased movement, all that moved was his chest slowly rising and falling, his body in a stasis mode. Time looked inside to the young man he inhabited, seeing into Ethan’s past and present, and into his future, intrigued by what he saw.</p><p>When they came across the recent memory of hearing that this cult planned on controlling them and their long time friend, it struck a chord in him that he and Death were not ones to be trifled with yet these mortals wish to tame them, and this particular mortal and his friend tried to warn these fanatics. Time waited, as he does, to strike and let Death know to end these zealots once he has crossed over.</p><p>Wax was brushed over his lips, Mark starting to come back to a normal level of waking, but felt paralyzed, his eyes subtly widened as he couldn’t call for help. He helplessly stared up at the earthen ceiling, hearing the faint chanting of those in attendance.</p><p>
  <em>“Unus Annus, Unus Annus, Unus Annus …”</em>
</p><p>“And now we seal Mori, Death Inevitable and Omnipresent, into this earthly body, bound by these rites that pass through our lips.” As the Latin incantation was spoke, wax was brushed over his forehead and another layer was added over his mouth, the gold wax dripping down from his sealed lips. Mark felt air being sucked out of his lungs and his heart stopping, eyes kept their wide stare as the same veins appeared across his frame and gathered at his eyes; the hourglass symbol drew itself on his forehead, his brown hues wiped clean as his eyes became pure white. Death entered the vessel, curious with the man he was currently being bound to; he felt pity for the loss this host had encountered, but knew of the mortal’s acceptance that death was inevitable, almost taking comfort in it. Perhaps there was a way to get Death’s point across that they shouldn’t be feared by using this vessel.</p><p><em>“Old friend, are you there?”</em> a voice called out in the void. Death could feel Time had materialized on this plane of existence, hearing them use their vessel’s voice.</p><p><em>“I am here,”</em> Death used his host’s voice, the low register reverberating in the echoing void.</p><p><em>“These fanatic mortals, the ones who summoned and bound us here, wish to control us for their own gains. We cannot allow that.”</em> Death was shown in the recent memory of the priest telling their vessels the cult’s plans.</p><p>
  <em>“How foolish they are to think they are can be masters over us. I will show them.”</em>
</p><p>Candles in the chamber flickered, the air growing heavy as an indicator that they had succeeded in summoning and binding Time and Death in these vessels. The priest wickedly smiled as he raised his hands above him, “Rise, Great Deities, rise and be bound to our will and heed our commands.”</p><p>Expecting the hosts to rise normally from the altars and kneel before him, the priest’s smile faltered when the two bodies began to float off the altars, rising whispers surrounded the chamber as the only door in and out closed shut; Ethan and Mark’s bodies were limp, backs arched as limbs and head hung in the air, the whispering rose in volume until the lights flickered out. A moment in the darkness before the candles reignited themselves and showed Time and Death levitating in front of their respective murals. The congregates in the chamber groveled low, averting their gazes, the priest gazed upon them with awe that grew into terror as he felt their anger – they knew of the society’s plans.</p><p><em>“We are Time and Death, made flesh by your acts,”</em> Time first spoke, his black eyes boring into anyone who dared look up at them. <em>“But we have noticed something in your ritual that, yes, has bound us to these bodies, but also causes us to counteract your spells.”</em></p><p><em>“Perhaps there is something crucial that you mortals have forgotten,”</em> Death growled after he ripped the wax off his lips. <em>“We are unseen elements of life as you mortals know it. Man can manipulate material elements, but we have been around since the beginning of the universe. We created and destroyed galaxies, stars, planets. We are cosmic forces that you tiny, foolish mortals cannot manipulate.”</em></p><p><em>“By binding us to these bodies, you therefore have this notion that you can influence us just because we are bound to simple human confines,”</em> Time subsequently lowly chuckled. <em>“But this is not the case.”</em></p><p>“Please! My lords, my gods, shepherds of our souls, have mercy! We-,”</p><p><em><strong>“Silence!”</strong></em> Death bellowed, piercing the priest with his white eyes. <em>“We will not show mercy.</em> <em><strong>I</strong></em> <em>will not show mercy. My friend has declared your days on this earth are done. And now it is my turn …”</em> He put an arm behind him, pulling a scythe out of thin air. Death pushed forward with a sweeping motion of his tool, the bodies fell to the floor, another swipe of his scythe, more collapsed. Those that tried to escape were met with a terrible end as Death descended upon them with a roar.</p><p>Time watched his friend reap the souls, knowing how bloodthirsty Death can get from ending so many lives. He touched down gently, approaching Death who landed on one knee; Time put his hand on his friend’s shoulder, the other being rose to his feet, panting.</p><p><em>“Easy, old friend, I know how much you hate being manipulated,”</em> Time softly spoke.</p><p><em>“Every time … they try and think that they can control us,”</em> Death grumbled. <em>“It enrages me to know that there are still mortals out there that feel like they need to conquer me, or to slow or stop you. We are unstoppable and uncontrollable forces. They cannot stop us, they cannot use us for their own gains. There is a price they have to pay when they do.”</em></p><p><em>“Indeed, old friend,”</em> Time turned to the only person alive in the room. <em>“Now then, what shall we do with this one?”</em></p><p>The priest avoided the massacre that happened before him, he was crouched in a corner cowering before the two immortal beings made flesh as they approached him. Death crouched to his level, grasping the front of his robes; those white eyes cut through him, planting fear into the priest. Time got beside Death, looking at the mortal with slight pity while Death glared at him.</p><p>“Y-you will … obey me …,” the priest thought he could muster up enough power to make the spell he had tried to use earlier before a hand covered up his mouth. His eyes were glued onto Death, the latter pulling his hand away as the priest felt his life be pulled out of him, falling over on the floor with his last breath. Death and Time rose, staring at the bodies as they walked to the center of the chamber.</p><p><em>“I suppose we can have some fun with these bodies while we’re here,”</em> Death suggested as they stood there. <em>“Do like a social experiment?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Should we plant the idea into their heads of a channel only lasting a year? Call it ‘Unus Annus’?”</em>
</p><p><em>“Sounds like a fun experiment. It’s right up their alley,”</em> Death grinned.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Epilogue</strong>
</p><p>Mark woke with a snore, grumbling to himself, waking up in his bed. Did he remember getting home? Last thing he remembered was leaving the beach with Ethan. He grabbed his phone, contemplating on texting him but decided not to as he put it back on the nightstand subsequently laying in bed for a little longer before showering. As the water rained down on him, he felt his skin tingle, thinking it was the temperature of the water being too cold; Death left a small mental note in Mark’s mind - <em>‘Text your friend in a week’s time’</em>. Hopefully the mortal can get the message. </p><p>It was a strange week for him. After he texted Ethan if he wanted to meet up at Buffalo Wild Wings, he also asked if the other had felt weird over the week. Ethan responded with a ‘yes’ to the meeting, further adding he kept having odd dreams of past and present and what could be the future but he wasn’t sure. Mark left the conversation after responding with a ‘see you then’, keeping to himself of his own nightmarish dreams that have been the norm for him but these weren’t like the others. He’d lie in a paralyzed state as visions of the beginning of this universe and beyond showed Mark himself as Death, the Grim Reaper being present during significant events - Lincoln’s assassination, the trenches of World War I, the Pacific Ocean and Europe during the second World War, the end of the Romanovs … all these moments, large and even small ones, Mark saw himself reaping the souls. </p><p>Every once in a while he’d hear whispering cries during the day, catch himself looking different in the mirror and in the blink of an eye he’d find the decaying visage of him gone. Death watched in the passenger seat, marveling at how the cult that summoned them and Time managed to pick this one and the other vessel. If anything he’s somewhat glad, every time he has taken a form of his own it’s usually very cliche classy or grotesque appearing but he’s been learning it feels nice for a change to be in a man with a charismatic and at times foolish personality. </p><p>“Has your week been any better?” Ethan asked as they sat on a table at Buffalo Wild Wings. </p><p>“No, not really, same weird shit keeps happening. You?”</p><p>“About the same. I’ve been feeling like I’ve been put through the space time wringer one too many times, my head’s been pounding. Like I’ve been everywhere and anywhere at all points in time,” Ethan sat forward pressing his forehead against his hands and rubbed his face. “What kind of weird thing's been going on with you?”</p><p>Mark looked a little spaced as his focus was on a speck on the table. “You know,” he lightly shrugged, “death. Dreams where I’m the Grim Reaper taking a bunch of souls. Endless screaming whispers some days.” He glanced back over to Ethan who looked freaked and concerned for Mark. “The usual.” A moment of silence came between them before the waiter came and got their orders, getting on with random conversation until the food arrived when Mark felt a weird tingle in the back of his mind. </p><p>“Say, I was thinking … want to collab on a channel together?”</p><p>Ethan paused his eating, glancing over to Mark, something in his mind buzzed. “We got good chemistry, I think we can make it work out. Should have the channel up for like … say, a year?”</p><p>“What, like a social experiment? Teach the importance of things don’t last forever?”</p><p>“Exactly.” Time and Death grinned at each other in the void, their planted seeds were starting to grow. They took the concept of the cult that summoned them and spun it around - a YouTube channel that only lasts one year. Seemed fitting once they knew who their vessels were. </p><p>“I dig it,” Mark nodded, a grin appearing on his face, he pulled out his phone. “What’s ‘one year’ in Latin …” </p><p>“Are we calling it that? One Year?”</p><p>“Having that in Latin sounds more big brain … ‘one year’ is,” he paused trying not to butcher the name, “ooh-niss ah-niss?” He showed it to Ethan. </p><p>The younger shrugged. “I see ‘uh-nuss anus with two ‘n’s’.” Mark subtly glared at Ethan as the latter chuckled. </p><p>“Fuckin’ dummy,” Mark mumbled under his breath, putting his phone down. “Unus Annus, one year. ‘Kay, cool. It should be like a bucket list channel but not like ‘oh i wanna see the Grand Canyon’, no, like stuff that we wanna try and do like painting in the nude or try eating bugs or something.”</p><p>“Should we get like a hundred ideas down? Two hundred?” </p><p>“I’m sure we can get two hundred ideas, if not, Amy can help. They could be anything, no matter how dumb it sounds, if it sounds interesting and think it won’t hurt us until we try it, then we do it.” The world suddenly stopped around them, the two vessels freezing themselves as Time and Death stepped forward; Ethan and Mark’s eyes glossed over, filling with black and white respectively, the black hourglass symbol on their foreheads. The entities sat back with smiles on their faces. </p><p>Their little social experiment was coming to fruition and would later bloom in November of that same year.</p>
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